CWD spreading in Illinois

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 9, 2006

DEER SEASON SAMPLING FINDS ADDITIONAL EVIDENCE OF CHRONIC WASTING DISEASE
New cases found in Northern Illinois

SPRINGFIELD, IL. – Sixteen additional cases of chronic wasting disease (CWD) have been detected in northern Illinois through sampling of hunter-harvested deer during the state’s 2005-06 deer seasons. The new cases include two deer taken by hunters in Ogle County, the first time CWD has been detected there.

“The Department of Natural Resources continues intensive sampling for CWD as part of our effort to slow the spread of the disease in our wild deer herd,” said Paul Shelton, manager of the IDNR Forest Wildlife Program. “We appreciate the support of hunters who continue to voluntarily allow us to take tissue samples from their deer to test for the disease. The sampling, testing and surveillance is extremely important as we deal with CWD.”

Chronic wasting disease was first discovered in Illinois in November 2002 and to date Illinois has detected 112 positive cases.

The disease had been confined in northern Illinois in Boone, Winnebago, McHenry and northern DeKalb until the two new cases were detected in nearby Ogle County this winter.

“We were somewhat surprised to find these two cases in Ogle County because no cases had been detected there previously despite very intensive sampling,” Shelton said. “We’ve sampled nearly 2,000 deer in Ogle County since 2003 and these are the only two cases we have found there to date. We are still awaiting the results of approximately 350 other samples from Ogle County taken this fall.”

Illinois biologists have collected samples from more than 2,500 deer in seven northern Illinois counties so far during the 2005-06 firearm and archery deer seasons and from suspect animals reported to the IDNR.

Hunters in Boone, Winnebago and McHenry counties a portion of DeKalb County north of the East-West Tollway will participate in a CWD Deer Season Jan. 13-15 to help control deer densities and the spread of chronic wasting disease. Hunters with unfilled 2005 firearm, muzzleloader or archery deer permits valid for one of the open counties may use those to hunt. Hunters using unfilled permits from the 2005 firearm, muzzleloader or archery season may take deer appropriate for that permit (antlerless-only or either-sex). Special CWD season permits were also issued previously. Check stations will be manned in the four counties and successful hunters who submit samples for CWD testing will be provided with an additional permit valid for the remainder of the season.

While not thought to be contagious to humans or livestock, CWD is known to spread from animal to animal among deer and elk. The disease affects the brain of the infected animal, causing it to become emaciated, display abnormal behavior, lose coordination and eventually die.

Illinois expanded its chronic wasting disease surveillance effort in 2002 following the discovery of CWD in neighboring Wisconsin. For updated information about CWD, check the IDNR web site at: http://dnr.state.il.us/cwd. Hunters who participated in the CWD sampling can check the status of their deer at this site. Hunters who provided samples from deer that test positive are notified by the IDNR.

If you hunt in IL, you better be very concerned about this. Every place that CWD has been found up here in Northern, IL has brought on the DNR sharp shooters.

Understand this, if CWD is found near a farm you hunt, you can forget deer hunting for the next few years. The DNR is going to come in a slaughter every deer in the area.

This is what is being done in No. IL. I personally feel, if you look hard enough for CWD in any county, you are going to find it. CWD has been out west for years, you don't see their DNR killing every deer & elk that walks do you?

Now the thought is deer feeding or congregating in one area can spread the disease. So they make feeding deer illegal in IL. Baiting was already illegal in IL. The DNR comes in puts out a huge bait pile, deer walk in and they shoot them at night. Let's say one of these deer feeding has CWD. The feed is now contaminated. The DNR calls it quits for the day. Do you think the animals will stop coming to the bait because the DNR went home?

No, the deer come and feed. Every deer that feeds there may now contract CWD. The only way to totally control the CWD is kill every deer in the county. How easy will this be? It will be nearly impossible in my opinion.

If you do kill every one, will that solve the problem. For a while maybe. They already know that CWD can live in the soil for a long, long time.

Do you think if Pike county had a case of CWD that the DNR would be in there slaughtering the herd. No way, big money from the outfitters would put a stop to it.

Ogle county is one of the top producing big deer counties in the state and now the DNR has a reason to go in and clean up.

Every hunter in Northern, IL should be worried and every hunter in IL should be concerned that it is going to happen in your county.

They think because they have " degrees" they know it all and can do all. And if we as hunters and landowners don't put up our voices this will never stop!

And you have a biology/wildlife management degree from where? I always laugh when I here from couch biologists on how they could better manage the wildlife in their particular area. Better yet, if you think you have the answers or credentials why don't you apply for a job with the Il DNR. If they did nothing to attempt to stop the disease the same people would be
b!tching.

If you feel politics are the problem, have you ran for political office? That is the nice thing about this country, you have every chance to change what you don't like about it.

I don't claim to know it all or try to know it all. It just seems to me that they do what ever they want, and they don't talk to hunters or outdoor people. However i do work for Il and know all about the politics and how they work. It just seems to me that betters ways could found other than murder the deer herd.

We need more "couch biologists"

Originally Posted by sharpspur

And you have a biology/wildlife management degree from where? I always laugh when I here from couch biologists on how they could better manage the wildlife in their particular area. Better yet, if you think you have the answers or credentials why don't you apply for a job with the Il DNR. If they did nothing to attempt to stop the disease the same people would be
b!tching.

If you feel politics are the problem, have you ran for political office? That is the nice thing about this country, you have every chance to change what you don't like about it.

I guess I am a couch biologist too, during poaching season.(after legal deer season)
I know plenty of "couch biologists" that could put together a supperior "deer management" program. I prefer to reffer to it as a Poaching Escapade though. What make's the hunters upset is the way they go about it. Instead of including the sportsman in the effort, the IL DNR has created their own private poaching escapade that goes against everything they have ever written in the regulations. This pisses ethical hunters off.

I read an artical in the Kansas City Star last week that stated that Kansas had a report of CWD. They just released this, but the CWD case is over a year old. If I remember right it was in the north central part of the state. Missouri did random checks for three years and never came up with a case.

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